SoftBank And OpenAI Launch Joint Venture SB OAI Japan To Drive AI Innovation In Japanese Enterprises

In Brief

SoftBank Group and OpenAI introduced a new joint venture called SB OAI Japan, which will launch “Crystal intelligence,” an enterprise AI solution for Japan, in 2026.

Japanese multinational investment holding company, SoftBank Group announced the formation of a new joint venture with OpenAI Group PBC called SB OAI Japan GK

The partnership aims to introduce “Crystal Intelligence,” an enterprise AI platform designed to enhance corporate management and operational efficiency across Japanese businesses. SB OAI Japan will utilize OpenAI’s advanced AI technologies to develop and distribute Crystal Intelligence — a comprehensive enterprise solution that integrates OpenAI’s latest models with customized implementation and system integration support. The offering will be marketed exclusively in Japan, with commercial availability expected in 2026.

Crystal Intelligence is intended to improve organizational productivity and streamline management processes through localized AI adoption. SoftBank Corp. will be the first company to implement the system, using it to validate its effectiveness in product development and operational transformation

The experience and data collected during this initial phase will be used to refine the solution and support broader enterprise adoption across Japan.

The joint venture with SoftBank, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated, was an important step that would accelerate their vision of bringing advanced AI to some of the world’s most influential companies, beginning with Japan.

This marked the start of a new era of innovation that would transform how people work and how businesses are managed, Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., said, adding that with the launch of SB OAI Japan, AI agents would understand goals and collaborate autonomously to carry out tasks, and that together with OpenAI, they were advancing the AI revolution to the next stage.

SoftBank Advances AI-Native Strategy With Crystal Intelligence And Vision Fund Restructuring

The SoftBank Group continues to advance its strategy of becoming an AI-native organization, encouraging employees to integrate AI tools into daily operations. The company has already developed around 2.5 million custom GPTs internally to optimize workflows and is now establishing the technological foundation for Crystal Intelligence

Through the launch of this initiative, SB OAI Japan intends to promote the practical application of AI within business management and accelerate the digital transformation of Japan’s corporate sector.

Recently, SoftBank Group announced plans to lay off nearly 20% of its Vision Fund workforce globally. The restructuring aims to move the fund away from a broad venture-capital portfolio spanning numerous startups, toward a leaner team concentrated on large-scale, high-conviction investments in AI and infrastructure.